Garden State Times

Jeanette Hoffman, the executive director of advocacy organization Patients Come First (PCF), said government interference with prices in the drug industry leads to a "loss of innovation in the marketplace," negatively impacting patients and their treatment options. 

"While these Medicare 'price negotiation' policies sound good politically, this is not a negotiation at all, but government-mandated price controls," Hoffman wrote in a NJ.com letter to the editor. "And government price controls ignore the economic realities of supply and demand."

"They also ignore the enormous cost of research and development in bringing new medicines to market," she explained. "When government officials implement price controls, it creates economic uncertainty by distorting the business environment, which then reduces funding for the discovery of new medicines. As a result, patients will ultimately suffer from the loss of innovation in the marketplace."

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) in 2022, contains a drug provision in which the brand-name drugs for which Medicare "negotiates" prices are split into two categories: small-molecule drugs and biologics. 

The IRA makes small-molecule drugs eligible for "negotiation" nine years after their approval, compared to a 13-year exemption period for biologics.

An October 2023 paper, authored by University of Chicago economists, said that the IRA small molecule provision will result in “188 fewer small molecule treatments, including 79 fewer new small molecule drugs and 109 fewer post-approval indications for these drugs.”

Studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicted 29% to 44% fewer medicines produced across all therapeutic areas, including cancer, as well as a 60% decrease in cancer research.  

A recent Desert Sun op-ed explained the significant impact that innovative drugs can have on health outcomes, particularly in managing and preventing chronic illnesses in California. One example highlighted was a new class of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, which have revolutionized obesity treatment and are reshaping healthcare. Despite their potential, global supply chain disruptions and disparities in access have left many patients struggling to obtain these critical drugs, underscoring the need for equitable access to medical innovations.

PCF launched in March, with executive directors Julie Gill Shuffield, Connie Farrow, and Jeannette Hoffman based in California, Missouri, and New Jersey respectively.

The organization focuses on overcoming barriers created by large insurers and government policies that limit care options, especially for those with chronic conditions. By leveraging a network of executive directors across the country, they work to represent patient and consumer interests at the grassroots level. The organization also emphasizes the importance of patient-centered policies over the influence of special interests.